Prime Minister Perry Christie said all web-shop owners and operators are placed on notice that all their gaming operations, including online gaming and the numbers games, must cease immediately.
Christie said the announcement was in keeping with his government’s commitment to abide by the will of the electorate as expressed in Monday’s overwhelming referendum results. According to the latest results released by the Parliamentary Registry Department, 30,767 registered voters voted in favor of regulating and taxing web shops while 48,012 voters voted no. As for the establishment of a national lottery, 32,170 voters voted yes and 46,961 voted no.
He said it had now become necessary to effect the closure of all web-shop gaming operations in The Bahamas.
“Failure to do so will leave all such web shop owners, operators and web shop gaming patrons exposed to arrest and criminal prosecution without further notice or warning,” said Christie.
While web shop owners and operators must cease and desist from gaming operations immediately, they are not required to close the door on their employees and those with whom they have lawful commercial relationships, said the prime minister.
He said this includes relationships with landlords throughout the country, as well as relationships with utility and service companies, supplies of goods, and other third-party creditors.
“The government expects that all web shop owners and operators will cooperate in giving effect to what I have just outlined so as to thereby eliminate the need for the relevant law enforcement authorities to take coercive action to compel the necessary result,” said Prime Minister Christie.
By Nassau Guardian
